The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Leucothoe of hybrid origin. The parent plant is thought to be a hybrid of Leucothoe fontanesiana and Leucothoe axillaris, however the cross cannot be confirmed. The new Leucothoe will hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Little Flames’. ‘Little Flames’ is a new cultivar of evergreen shrub grown for use as an ornamental landscape plant.
The new cultivar was discovered by the Inventor in fall of 2007 as a naturally occurring branch mutation of Leucothoe ‘Zeblid’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,195) that was growing in a container in Zundert, The Netherlands.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the Inventor using softwood stem cuttings in summer of 2008 in Zundert, The Netherlands. Asexual propagation by softwood stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.